Astronomy Programs at the Blake Planetarium
Plymouth Community Intermediate School
117 Long Pond Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-830-4470
http://sites.google.com/site/blakeplanetarium/

Everyone wonders about something in the sky – stars, planets, moons, meteors (shooting stars or falling stars), black holes, UFOs, constellations, extraterrestrial life, astrology, satellites, space station, and so on.

Astronomy is a subject that includes science, math, history, literature, mythology, art, geography, and music. The mythology and history of how people viewed the sky varies from culture to culture and country to country. Therefore, ASTRONOMY is truly multicultural and interdisciplinary.

Groups of children and/or adults from private and public schools, scouts, camps, and civic organizations can arrange for programs on days and times other than Thursdays at 7:00 pm. Call the Planetarium office to inquire about dates, times, and cost. The program will discuss the current sky presented at a level appropriate to the audience.

The Planetarium Instrument is a Spitz System 512 with a dome (the sky) 30 feet in diameter. The Theatre can hold up to 70 people. Complementing the planetarium projector are computers with a T1 internet connection, a video projection system and a 35mm slide projection system with SPICE control.

School Programs address current national and Massachusetts’ educational frameworks. Materials are available for activities that supplement each school program. The Planetarium projector can show the sky from any location on the earth, at any day of the year and at any time. Therefore, the programs are a good way for:

Kindergarten or Grade 1 children to be introduced to the day and night sky by seeing the daily motion of the sun and stars and identifying the shapes and pictures of the brighter nighttime constellations.

Grade 5 and Grade 8 students to review the causes of Earth’s day/night cycle and seasons and Moon Phases in preparation for MCAS tests.

Students at any grade level to see how the various astronomy topics relate to the science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics frameworks.

Public Astronomy Programs
The public astronomy programs at the Blake Planetarium describe what is visible in the current daytime and nighttime sky, recent discoveries in astronomy and space science, and special topics that depend on the season and the month. If the weather cooperates, the audience will see the stars and planets in the real sky. The programs are a combination of live and pre-recorded multimedia presentations.

The public programs are scheduled for Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. School vacations, weather, and other factors may affect the availability of the planetarium. Check the current schedule by calling the planetarium office or going to the website . Admission is a donation of $4.00 for adults, and $2.50 for children, students, and senior citizens.

Directions
Click here for location from Mapquest
The Blake Planetarium is in the Plymouth Community Intermediate School (PCIS). To find PCIS from Route 3, take Exit 5 and follow signs for College Pond State Forest. From Route 3A (Main Street), turn onto South Street. South Street becomes Long Pond Road at Exit 5 (Route 3) underpass. The school is on the right, one mile from the exit.